Shoe-stretcher



A. B. ELMSTROM.

SHOE STRETCHER. APPLICATION mzo mac. 4., 1918 Patented Aug; 10, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANSI-IELM BURTON ELMSTROM, 0F VJOROESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TOROBERT M. ELMSTROM, DOING BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME OF STANDARDMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHOE-STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

Application filed December 4, 1918. Serial No. 265,274.

Emis'rnori, a citizen of the United States,

residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Shoe-Stretcher, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to shoe stretchers of the type commonlyused byshoe dealers and shoe repairers for stretching the ball or toe portionof a finished shoe.

Such stretchers are well known and are in common use, and it is thegeneral object of my invention to improve and simplify the constructionof these stretchers to the end that increased economy of both labor andmaterial may be attained in the manufacture thereof.

With this general object in view, my invention particularly relates to aconstruction of shoe stretcher in which a minimum number of parts areused, and in which the parts may each be easily and cheaply constructed.

In the preferred form the complete device comprises a pair of lastblocks or forms a yielding connection between the blocks, and a threadedrod, preferably of wood, cooperating with a tapered screw thread formeddirectly in the adjacent portions of the blocks.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of partswhich will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

A preferred form of my invention is shown in the drawings, in whichFigure l is a side elevation of a complete stretcher;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the parts in a differentposition;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation, and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 55 in Fig. 2, butshowing a slight modification.

As shown in the drawings, my improved stretcher is of extremely simpleconstruction and comprises two last blocks or forms 10 and 11 commonlyof wood, which blocks are connected to each other at their rear ends, asby a spring plate or hinge 12. This plate may be provided with acorrugation by which its resiliency is increased, and is also preferablyprovided with an opening 14 for a purpose to be described.

In the manufacture of my improved stretcher, the blocks 10 and 11 arefirst connected by the plate 12, which is secured thereto in anyconvenient manner as by screws 15, and the blocks are then sprung apartat their front ends and held firmly in the position shown in Fig. 3. Athreaded opening is then formed between the blocks while held in thisposition, the drill and tap entering the blocks throughthe opening letin the plate 12 and extending forwardly and downwardly, as indicated indotted lines in Fig. 3. As the blocks are held at an angle during thisoperation, the screw threads gradually decrease in depth toward thefront. l/Vhen the blocks are released and return to the position shownin Fig. 2, the threaded opening assumes a more or less tapered orconical form.

The stretcher is operated by means of a hand screw 16 commonly of woodand provided with a handle portion 17. This screw may be slightlytapered on the outside and loosely its the threaded opening at its rearor full size portion. As it is turned in and I thus advances along thetapered opening, it gradually forces the blocks 10 and 11 apart. It willthus appear that I have provided a shoe stretcher comprising only fourparts, three of which may preferably be of wood, and all of which are ofsimple and inexpensive construction.

In F ig. 5 I have shown a slight modification in which the screw threadis formed by pressing strips 20 of sheet metal to concave threaded form,these strips being thereafter secured in openings 21 in any convenientmanner, as by nails or screws 22. This construction avoids threading theblocks 10 and 11, but involves the use of additional parts. While thedrawings show the last blocks as separated in a vertical plane, exactlythe same construction may be used in a stretcher in which the blocks areseparated in a horizontal plane to form a so-called toe-raiser, and myinvention is not limited to a particular location of the separatingplane.

Having thus described my invention and a modification thereof, it willbe evident that other changes and modifications can be made therein bythose skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scopethereof as set forth in the claims, and I do not wish to be otherwiselimited to the details herein disclosed, claim is- 1. A shoe stretchercomprising twowvoo'den blocks connected by a spring plate attheir rearends, said blocks being threaded from" their rear ends forwardly, thescrew threads being formed directly in the wood of the adjacent portionsof said blocks and decreasing in depth toward the front ends of saidblocks, and a wood screw of uniform pitch diameter throughout andfitting but "what I dogether and their front'ends yieldingly separable,said blocks having parts of a screw thread in their adjacentportionsggra'dually 'decre'asing'in depth" forwardly ine'acli block, anda threaded rod of uniform pitch diameter throughout operable betweensaid 25 threaded blocks to force said blocks apart.

A shoe stretcher comprising a pair of blocks-having their rear endsconnected together and their front ends yieldingly sepa rable, and athreaded rod of substantial diameter, said rod being mounted in ascrewthreaded opening between said blocks and directly engaginginclinedbearing surfaces on said blocks to force the front ends ofsaidblocks apart as said rod is advanced.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

ANsHELM" BURTON ELMSTROM.

